Calender



.July 29, 1947. c. F. scg-mucK CALENDER Filed lay 10 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/I txT Patented July 29, 1947 CALENDER Carl F.- Schnuck, New Haven,- Conn., assignor to Farrel-Birmingham Company, Inc., Ansonia,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 10, 1945, Serial No. 593.035

This invention relates to calenders, and more particularly to a device for controlling the ad- Claims. (Cl. 18-2) One object of my invention is to provide a I new and improved means for controlling the justment between cooperating rolls of calenders trols have been provided which employ a car-' rlage resting upon the sheet to be controlled, so that this sheet lies between the carriage and one of the rolls, and, therefore, the distance of.

the carriage from the roll will measure the thickness or gauge of the sheet. Any variation in the thickness of the sheet will effect a variation in the-distance of the carriage from the roll, and the change in this distance is made to cause more or less current to flow to a controlling meter whichoperates a roll-adjusting motor in 'the proper direction to adjust one of the rolls to or from the other to bring the sheet back to the required gauge. I

As'the gauge must be constant within very fine limitsgthis requires very fine adjustment of the rolls and very accurate roll-adjusting mechanism and usually one which operates at a very slow speed so. that sudden variation in thickness of the material will n'ot occur. l,

I contemplate by the present invention to pro-.- vide roll adjusting mechanism which will, be employed for what may be termed a near setting or adjustment of the rolls, and also to provide aux iliary adjusting mechanism for the finei'sett ing, which latteradjusting' mechanism will'be' automatically actuated by the gauge device but which will be much simpler in construction, and more accurate in operation'than the usual means employed for this purpose. H

'As'herein illustrated, I prefer to'efiect the fine adjustment by the provision of 'a pressure elegauge of a sheet of material delivered by a calcnder or like machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means for adjusting one of two cooperating rolls, so that the space between such rolls may be maintained at a constant figure within very close limits.

A still further object of the invention i to provide means for adjusting one of a cooperating pair of rolls by bringing about the expansion through the application of heat to a member disposed between this roll and a fixed part of the machine. l

A still further object of'the invention is to provide in a calender or like machineehaving a plurality of cooperating rolls, at least one of which is adjustable, new and improved means for adjusting such roll. such means comprisin devices for bringing about a near adjustment of the roll and an auxiliary device for bringin about a fine adjustment of the roll. in order that the sheet-of material issuing from the rolls may be maintained at a predetermined gauge within very closelimits. H i

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and, claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawings: i

Fig. 1. is a sectional view of a. three-roll calender embodying my invention and showing my improved roll-adjusting.mechanism appliedto the lower roll thereof;

and to-bring'about changes in the length of' this 'and'lowe'r rolls l and I3 on the other. It willfv element by thermal means such, "for example;

as by heating it electrically.

Fig.2 is a similar'jfragmentary enlarged view of a calendershowing my adjusting mechanism z plied to'thje upper roll; and

" Fig.3 is a sectional view on i n-3 or riglfi; As illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, I have shown a'oalender. comprising end frames ill haymg mounted therein calenderin's rolls [1, l2 and t3, the ends or necks'of these rolls 'beingmounted in journal boxes, I5 and lfil Asshow n, itlniay, be assumed that the journal iboxof the roll i2. is fixed; while the journal boxes of the rolls It,

and I3 arefadjustablevertically in order to vary} the distances between the surfaces of the middle roll t2 on thepne'hand and those of the upper be understood, however, that'my invention is not to be limited toa roll arrangement ofthe type shownfbut maybe employed in connection with any pair of cooperating rolls -'where it is desired to maintain'a constant "gauge for the sheet of material issuing therefrom.

Asillustrated the upper roll ll may be adjusted by the usual adjustingscrew l1 driven by the gear l8, and likewise the -lower roll may be adjusted by the adjusting screw is driven by the gear 20. The gears I8 and may in turn be driven by any suitable mechanism well known in the art.

Mounted adjacent the lower roll I3 is a car riage 2i pivoted at 22 and carrying a roller or other contact element 23 designed to bear against the sheetof material on the roll I3, so that the thickness of this sheet will be a measure of the distance between the surface of the roller 23 and that of the roll l3. 'As is well known in the art, .a change in the air gap between the roller 23 and the roll l3 will cause more or lesscurrent-to flow a through the wires 24 to the automatic control meter 25 which, in the usual arrangement, brings about operation of' the adjusting devices I I and IE, but which, in the present invention, is used to efiect adjustment of the rolls in a different manner.

Surrounding the adjusting screw is is a heatlug-element such as a heating coil 26 which may be energized by wires 21 leading from the control .4 hardening or 'annealing the surface of the adjusting screw or of expanding the screw to such an extent that it would bind. The adjustment would invention applied to the upper roll of a calender. Inthis instance, there is mounted in the frame o'rstandard 30 an upper roll 3| and a lower roll 32, it beingz understood that more than two rolls may. be employed if desired. In this instance,

an adjustingscr'ew' 33 is secured to the journal box 34 of the upper roll 3| so that adjustment 4 meter 25. It will, of course, be understood that any form of heating element may be employed instead of the-coil-26 so that the adjusting screw l9 will be heated and caused to expand or elongate under the effect of an increase in temperature.- This elongation will cause the journal box IE and the roll l3 to be moved upwardly toward the roll l2, and thus effect a reduction in the gauge of the sheet of material issuing from the bites between the rolls l2 and. I3. If the current to the coil 26 is broken, the adjusting screw will, of course, cool and permit the roll i 3 to move away from its mate l2.

In the operation of my device, the adjusting screw l9 will be actuated through the gear 28 by any suitable means to effect an initial adjustmerit of the roll l3 in order to produce a film or-she'et of material of slightly greater thickness than that desired. This would be the near adjustment of the. device, and the roll [3 would never beset up against the roll I2 to thermal limit desired in order that the fine adjustment in the proper direction would be automatically" eifected through the heating element 26. After this'near adjustment has been accomplished, the

automatic control meter would be set, so that when the meter reads zero and the sheet of the desired predetermined gauge is obtained, no current would flow through the wire 21 to the heat element 26. If, howeverjthe gauge of the sheet of material is shown to "run heavy, the circuit would be closed through the wires 21 and the heating element 26 would be energized. This would cause the adjusting screw IE to expand and adjust the roll l3 toward the roll l2.

When this adjustment becomes sufllcient to produce a. film or sheet of the required gauge, the current would be cut oil and the circuit to the heat element 26 would bev open. The residual temperature in the screw would, however, cause the'device to .o'oast for some time, thus keeping the gauge at the proper figure, but as soon as there was a deviation from-the predetermined gauge, current would again be supplied to. the heating element 26 and a correction would be made: i

The amountfof adjustment thus made through the agency of thejheating coil would be relatively smallandrequire a relativelysmall amount of current.'.so that there. would beno danger-of of the screw 33in the nut 35 secured in .the standard 30 will move the journal box 34 and the roll 3| upwardly as well as downwardly, the journal box being supported by the screw. Surrounding the screw 33 is a heating element 31 energized by conductors 38 which will be controlled as explained above from the adjusting carriage 39 carrying the roller 40 resting upon the sheet or a film of material carried by the roll 32.

The operation of this for-m of my device is like that described in connection with the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1. before, the screw 33 is given an initial settingthroughthe gear 4| so that the film or sheet of material.

would be slightly heavier than that described.

However, .when the machine is put into operationand the current closed to energize the heating element 31 by variations in the position of the roll 40 of the gauge 39, the consequent heating and lengthening of the screw 33 will force the roll 3! toward the roll 32 and'effect a'thinningof the film to the desired gauge. When this point is reached, the current will be cut off as before and a film of the proper gauge will be delivered. It will be understood that the particular form of gauge-measuring device is shown for illustrative purposes only, and that the invention of the present application is not limited to any particular form of device for measuring or indicating the gauge of the sheet of material delivered by the rolls, and that any form of such device may be used for this purpose and for energizing the heating element to efiect the fine adjustment of the adjustable roll or rolls and thus maintain the gauge of the delivered sheet of' material within very close limits. It will also be understood that while the invention is illustrated as applied to a calender, it may also be employed in other rela-- tions where it is desired to maintain a fine adjustment of the cooperating rolls, particularly where such rolls are delivering a sheet of material. It may, for example, be employed in connection with the close, final positioning of the adjustable roll of a metal rolling mill, and the language of the claims is not to be so construed,

as to limit the invention to a calender for plastic material.

While I have shown and described some preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is'not to be limited to all of ating rolls, bearings carried by the frame in which said rolls are mounted, the bearings of one roll being adjustable relatively to those of the other, said means comprising amemberbearing at one end against a part of the adjustable roll bearing and, restrained against movement at said rolls, and electrically operated means to heat the opposite end, and means for heating said member to efiect elongation thereof and thereby effect relative adjustment. of the rolls.

2, Roll-adjusting means for calenders or like machines having a frame and a pair ofrcooperatis adjustable relatively to the other, comprising ing rolls, bearings carried by the frame in which said rolls are mounted, the bearings of one roll being adjustable relatively to those of the other, said means comprising a member bearing at one end against a part of the adjustable roll hearing and restrained against movement atthe opposite end, and means for electrically heating said member to efiect elongation thereof and thereby eflect adjustment of the adjustable roll.

3. Roll-adjusting means for calenders or like machines having a frame and a pair of cooperating rolls supported by the frame, one of which is adjustable relatively to the other, said means comprising a member disposed between a part of said adjustable roll and a fixed portion of the frame, means to apply heat to said member to eflect elongation thereof and thereby eifect movement of said adjustable roii relatively to its mate, and means controlled by the gauge of the material issuing from the rolls to effect application of heat to said member by said heat-applying means.

4. Roll-adjusting means for calenders or like 7 machines having a frame and a pair of cooperating rolls supported by the frame, one of which is adjustable relatively to the other, said means comprising a memberv disposed between a part of said adjustable roll and a ilxed' portion of the frame, means to apply heat to said member to efiect elongation thereof and thereby effect movement of said adjustable roll relatively to its mate, and means actuated by the separation of the surfaces of the rolls to control said heat-applying means to apply heat to said member. I v

5. Roll-adjusting means for calenders or like machines having a frame and a pair of cooperating rolls supported by the frame, one of which is adjustable relatively to the other, comprising machines having a frame and a pair of wowating rolls supported by the frame, one ofwhich is adjustable relatively to the other, comprising to effect adjustment or the separation between ment associated with said screw, and means conan adjusting screw, means to rotate said screw to eflect adjustment of the separation between said rolls, electrically operated means to heat said, screw and elongate the same and thereby cifect a vfine adjustment of the bite between the rolls, and means actuated by the gauge of material issuing from the roll to energize said heating the final roll adjustment for the exact gauge de- 7 sired.

9. Roll adjusting means for calenders or like machines having a frame and a pair of cooperatirig rolls supported by the frame, one of which is adjustable relatively to the other, comprising an adjusting screw, means to rotate said screw to effect an adjustment of the adjusting roll to approximately the desired osition to produce a sheet of the proper gauge, additional means toeffect elongation of said screw to bring about the final roll adjustment for the exact gauge desired, said additional means comprising a heating element associated with said screw, and

means to energize said heating element.

10. Roll-adjusting means for calenders or like machines having a frame and a pair of cooperating rolls supported by the frame, one of which is adjustable relatively to'the other, comprising an adjusting screw, means to rotate said'screw to eil'ect an adjustment of the adjusting roll to approximately the desired position to produce a sheet of the proper gauge, additional means-to eflect elongation of said screw to bring about the final roll adjustment for the exact gauge desired, said additional means comprising a heating eletrolled by variations in the gauge of the sheet to an adjusting screw, means to rotatesaid screw' energize said heating element. CARL I". SCHNUGK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the die of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 854,879 I Edwards May 28, 1907 

